


To Know Him Is To Love Him

by yamahoes



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Developing Relationship, Eventual Sex, F/M, First Dates, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Smut, Friends to Lovers, Hand Jobs, Minor Original Character(s), Oral Sex, Slow Burn, Vaginal Fingering
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-22
Updated: 2021-02-21
Packaged: 2021-03-14 17:01:39
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,496
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28923996
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yamahoes/pseuds/yamahoes
Summary: You’re a non-Shinobi nurse working at the Konoha hospital after the fourth Shinobi war. The hospital is overrun with injured ninjas, one of them being Maito Gai. Gai is one of your patients. He's kind and caring, so you can't tell if he has feelings for you. But do you have feelings for him?I'll add more tags as I post chapters, but there will be explicit content eventually.
Relationships: Maito Gai | Might Guy/Reader
Comments: 46
Kudos: 58





	1. The Daily Check-Up

The end of the Fourth Great Ninja War meant the start of peace, but it was chaos for the medical personnel. The Konoha hospital was an anomaly in the peaceful village. It’s like all the doom gloom was hoarded up in its walls, and you and your colleagues were trying to keep it from escaping and ruining everyone’s tranquility. 

There were injured shinobi in every room. Hospital beds were scarce. You had so many patients that you couldn’t remember names, let alone charts. The hours at Konoha’s hospital were long and draining. The sheer amount of Shinobi patients were overwhelming, but none of the injuries were too bad, except for one of your patients, Maito Gai. 

Gai’s injuries were unique. Despite the gravity of his injuries, no medical nins could help him until his body cooled down. There was something about his body being oversensitive because of the Jutsu he used. You're not too sure the details of how he obtained his injuries - as a non-shinobi, there’s only so many Ninjutsus, Genjutsus, and Taijutsus you can keep track of - but you’re well versed in his current condition. Even though his injuries are severe, Gai greets you with a blinding smile every time you went to check-up on him. His unwavering optimism was infectious. You always left his room with a smile. But now, heading towards his room, a smile began to form on your face at the thought of seeing him.

Standing outside of the sliding door, you can hear a few bickering voices. Your best guess is that the voices belong to Lee and Tenten. They’re always visiting. Gai’s booming laugh interrupts their argument, which you use as your cue to enter. 

“Ahh, Y/N, I could feel the power of youth before you even entered the room!” Gai exclaims with a thumbs up. “It’s radiating off of you!” 

Chuckling, you shake your head. “Hi Gai, chipper as ever I see.” Sure enough, Lee and Tenten were standing on the far side of their sensei’s bed. Lee is looking forlorn, and Tenten is looking annoyed. “Hi, you two,” your greeting snapped them out of whatever lingering feelings they had about their disagreement. They both returned your salutation with smiles that made their sensei proud. 

You grab the chart off the end of Gai’s bed and start looking over the doctor’s notes. They haven’t changed much since he first entered the hospital. He suffered horrific internal and external burns that were healed with chakra, but the bones in his legs are unlikely to recover. Or so you believed. 

_Collect skin cells and blood work for a possible transplant of Hashirama’s cells. If compatible, we could rejuvenate his legs_ , was the doctor’s latest note. 

So they are going to try and do a transplant. You knew the doctors were debating about even trying because the success rate for Gai is extremely low. After mulling over Gai’s chart a bit longer, you look up and see that Lee and Tenten have left. Were you reading his chart for that long?! 

“Is it just the usual today, Y/N? Or does the doc have something special for me?” Gai asks with a genuine smile. 

“It’s the usual with some blood work and skin cells swabbing,” you reply while scrubbing your hands. 

You walk over to the side of Gai’s bed, and you two fall into the normalcy of your daily check-up routine. Check his vitals, his senses, his heart, his lungs, his mobility, and his reflexes. Meanwhile, you two make small talk. It’s never forced or awkward with Gai. He honestly wants to know what’s going on in your life. He asks how your move went because you recently moved into your own apartment and finally away from your awful roommate. Gai laments how he’ll miss your roommate horror stories but is happy you have your own place. You ask him how his physical therapy was going. Then how Lee and Tenten’s training is progressing. It’s effortless with Gai.

With the routine stuff out of the way, you start prepping to collect skin cells. You’re unsure how much the doctor told Gai. You figure he couldn’t know much because, with his blind optimism, he would have already mentioned the procedure to you. But like any patient, you know Gai will ask you why you need to collect skin cells and blood samples. You can’t give him false hope and let him spiral into delusions of grandeur.

When you come over with the swab tray, Gai finally asks you the question, “What are these new tests for?”

Putting on your professional nurse facade, you answer him, “I’m collecting your skin cells and blood sample to see if you are a possible match with Hashirama’s cells.” 

Gai’s thick eyebrows knit together. He’s processing the new information. If you could see his forehead under his bowl-cut hair, you bet there were a few forehead wrinkles. “Hashirama’s cells, hmm. I’m assuming they are for my legs?” Gai finally asks. 

“Yes, if you’re compatible, Lady Tsunade could possibly make you some prosthetics. But because there is not a clean break with your bones, we have to be careful to make sure the new prosthetics don’t cause further strain and damage,” you answer. 

“But there is a chance I could walk again?” 

You look up from the swab kit you were fiddling with to see his black eyes brimming with hope. You don’t want to watch the hope spill out of his eyes and turn to turmoil and be the reason why. 

Still staring into his kind eyes, you say, “There is a chance you could walk again, but it hangs on a lot of uncertainty. Many things have to go right for that to be the outcome. You’ll still have to do regular physical therapy.”

“But there is a chance?” he asks more firmly this time. 

“There is a chance.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my first long multi-fic, and I'm so excited!! I have the whole plot pretty much written out. I've also never written slow burn angst before, so I hope it's good. 
> 
> I hope all the Gai lovers enjoy it!!
> 
> Please leave kudos and drop a comment if you loved it! It would mean a lot.


	2. The Mug

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is about double the length of the first, so I hope you enjoy it!!!!!!!

It’s been a week since you collected Gai’s skin cells and blood sample for the prosthetic compatibility test. Every day since he asks you for an update on his results, and you remind him the doctor will be the one to relay the news to him. 

Today you’re prepared for more of the same when you enter his room for his daily check-up. 

“My beautiful Blossom of youth! How are you today?” Gai practically shouts at you

“I’m a lot better now,” you respond to Gai with a huge smile plastered on your face. 

You hear a book snap shut and whip your head around to the far corner of the room. Kakashi Hatake, Gai’s best friend, is casually standing there. One of his hands is holding an orange book, while the other hides in his pocket. He visits often but never stays when you come around. His general aloofness is off-putting and prevents you from getting a good read on him, but he’s friends with Gai, so how cool can Kakashi be?

“Seeing that you’re now busy,” Kakashi says why looking back and forth between you and Gai, “I’ll be heading out.” He walks from his spot in the corner to the sliding hospital room door. He quickly turns flashes his friend a cheeky smile before quietly exiting the room. “ _That’s odd,_ ” you think to yourself.

You head over to the foot of Gai’s bed to review his chart, but before you can grab it, Gai leans forward and snatches it from the bed frame. Sometimes you forget he’s a powerful Shinobi with quick reflexes.

“Now, Blossom, before we get started with our usual song and dance, I have something for you,” Gai proclaims while setting his chart on the nightstand. 

You cross your arms and let out a huff. Even pretending to be annoyed at Gai feels wrong. “Alright, what do you want?” Your obvious amusement is seeping through. 

Gai reaches for a gift bag that was tucked away behind the resident bouquet of flowers on his bedside, “I wanted to give you this.” 

“You got me something?” Confusion masking your face. “ _Why on earth would Gai buy you a gift? How could he have bought you a gift when he’s in the hospital?_ ” You move over to the side of Gai’s bed to take the gift bag. He pats the bed, signaling for you to sit down next to him, so you do.

“Gai, why did yo--”

“Just open it,” Gai cuts you off, unable to mask his eagerness. 

You oblige and reach into the bag. Sifting through the green tissue paper, you pull out a box neatly wrapped in matching green paper. Tearing through the wrapping, you uncover a plain white box. You open it, and inside, nestled in some bubble wrap, is a light blue mug with hand-painted turtles all over the surface.

“I wanted to get you a house warming gift, and I remembered you were telling me that your terrible former roommate shattered your favorite mug, so I figured you still needed a new one. Do you like it?” Gai asks.

You’re shocked, “Yes, Gai, I love it. I can’t believe you remembered that I needed a new mug.” 

“Well, of course, I did! You were so upset, how could I have ever forgotten?” 

Still, you’re dumbfounded. You pull your gaze away from your new favorite mug to look at Gai. His eyes are soft but still searching yours for reassurance that you love his gift. You look over his face. He has such beautiful, strong features: a sharp jawline, prominent cheekbones, full lips, and bushy eyebrows. 

Reaching out, you place your free hand on his upper arm and squeeze. “Thank you, Gai. I love it.” 

A soft smile spreads onto his face. “You’re welcome, Y/N.” 

It’s just a moment, but it hangs in the air. You touch Gai all the time, but this is different. There was no medical reason for you to be squeezing his bicep, but it feels right, so you let your hand linger for just a second longer.

Eventually, you place your hand back in your lap, ending the sweet moment. The room feels charged. You decide to break the tension. “I do have to ask, why turtles?” You inquire with a laugh.

“That’s my summoning animal!” Gai says proudly with a thumbs up. “I figured every time you use the mug you will think of me and remember your youthfulness!” 

“Summoning animal? I don’t know what that means.”

“Oh, Blossom, let me tell you! A summoning Jutsu is a technique where someone can summon a specific thing, usually an animal. I can summon turtles. Kakashi can summon dogs. Tenten can summon weapons.”

“Weapons?!” you exclaim. Gai’s new-found enthusiasm is infectious. You’re hanging onto every word he says. 

“Yes! She can summon scrolls containing weapons, but she can put other things in the scrolls too! Her options are limitless.”

Nodding along, you think you understand the summoning Jutsu except for one thing, “I get how Tenten’s summoning is useful, but how is summoning turtles in the middle of a fight helpful?” 

“They’re ninja turtles! They are larger than average and can fight and use Jutsus.” 

“Ninja turtles,” you repeat, entirely stunned. Gai responds with his booming laugh, realizing how crazy that must sound to a regular citizen. 

A smirk creeps up your face, “Okay, one last question. How did you buy this mug when you’re not allowed to leave the hospital?”

“That’s easy. I placed an order at the ceramic shop, and Kakashi went and picked it up for me.” 

“Wow, you did that all for me?” you say without even thinking. Your mindless comment makes Gai second guess his actions, and he starts to peddle back. 

“It wasn’t too much trouble, really. Sorry, if I overstepped, I--”

You cut him off, “Gai, thank you, really. I’m flattered that you thought about me. Maybe when you’re out of the hospital, you can come over for tea.” You say while waving your new mug around. 

The worry melts off his face, “That sounds perfect, Y/N. Tea is the elixir of youthfulness! With my new legs, I’ll have to do everything I can to achieve maximal youth!” 

“Alright, well, let’s see if you’re actually youthful and start this check-up,” you chuckle and ignore his comment about his legs. He’s already ahead of himself without knowing the results. 

~~~

After finishing up with Gai, you head back to the nurse’s station to put your new mug in your locker. You run into Kanna, your best friend from childhood who also happens to be a nurse. You and Kanna are practically sisters. Your parents weren’t around much growing up, they traveled a lot, so you basically lived at Kanna’s house. You were over so much that her parents eventually bought Kanna a trundle bed, so you had an official place to sleep. 

You two have always done everything together, from school to college to nursing residency. But right now, you two were at different parts of your lives. Kanna is married and currently five months pregnant with her first child. Married life hasn’t impeded your friendship at all. If anything, it has made Kanna more interested in your love life because she’s an old married person now. But still, it hurts to see her move on and create a family while you’re still single. 

“What do you have there, Y/N,” Kanna asks while peering over your shoulder. She’s always in your business, but you wouldn’t have it any other way. 

“Oh, it’s nothing,” you say too quickly. Kanna knows you too well and won’t stand for secrets. She snatches the gift bag from your hands. 

“Be careful! It’s fragile!” you welp while trying to snag the bag back. 

“It is? I thought it was nothing? How can nothing be fragile?” she teases you.

You give up trying to recover your gift. She was going to find out one way another about how you acquired your new favorite mug, so you might as well rip off the band-aid now. Kanna opens the gift bag and rummages around inside before pulling the mug out. 

“Wow, this is lovely! Is it hand-painted? It looks custom. Who bought this for you? Do you have a secret admirer that you’ve been hiding from me?” She is in full interrogation mode. 

You have turned a deep shade of red. It’s pointless even to try and hide your embarrassment. Kanna takes your blush as confirmation.

“So you do have a secret admirer! Who is he? I swear if you say it’s your ex, I will murder you right here and now.”

“It’s not Taishi! I’m never going back to him again.” 

“Third time isn’t the charm then?” she teases. “So who is the new turtle obsessed boyfriend?”

“He is not my boyfriend! He is one of my favorite patients. And the mug is a housewarming gift, which I would like back now,” you say sternly with your hand outstretched. Kanna reluctantly gives you back the mug and takes a seat on the couch. She will never admit that her ankles are sore, but you know that’s why she’s sitting.

“Hm, let me guess who the patient is. The loud Shinobi with the big eyebrows, what’s his name. Kai or something.”

“It’s Gai, and yes, it’s from him,” you say while carefully placing the gift in your locker. “It was very thoughtful. He remembered I needed a new mug.”

“So you’re telling me that your _favorite_ patient remembered a small tiny detail about your life, then bought you a gift based on that detail, and you think that’s normal?” 

“I didn’t say it was normal! I said it was thoughtful!”

“Did he ask you out afterward?”

“What?!” you sputtered. “No, he didn’t!”

Kanna frowns, “Well, he should have! If he did, would you have said yes?”

“No! I can’t date a patient!” you retort.

“But you can accept thoughtful, handcrafted gifts from them? Dating is where you draw the line?” 

“It’s not that simple, Kanna. It would be unethical.”

“But you’re attracted to him, right?”

“What?” Her question caught you off guard. 

“You can’t date him because of ethics or whatever, but you can admit if you find him attractive. There’s no ethical code about finding someone hot! So do you?”

“I don’t know.” your blush is now returning. You drop your gaze from Kanna’s inquiring eyes. Do you find Gai attractive? He is, generally speaking, attractive. Your mind flashes back to the moment in Gai’s room when you grabbed his arm. But he’s not just attractive. He is funny, smart, and thoughtful. Shit. Your mind is racing. _“What does the mug mean? Oh my god, you invited him over for tea, is that a date? Does he even like you?”_

You’ve been staring at your feet for too long, so Kanna breaks your train of thought. “I think you do know,” Kanna says, practically reading your mind. “But you won’t admit it to yourself because you self-sabotage.” 

“I do not self-sabotage!”

“You got back with your ex after finding out he cheated on you. That is self-sabotage behavior.” 

You can’t think of a response, so you glare at her. Damn her for bringing that up! She will always hold that over your head. It was stupid of you. Sure, you admit that, but you’re in your 20s, you’re allowed to make mistakes. 

Kanna continues, “All I’m saying is that a nice hot man gave you a thoughtful gift, so maybe you should figure out if you like him or not, that’s all.” 

“Is that your closing statement? Are we done here? Can I get back to work?” You dryly reply.

Kanna laughs, “Yes, go finish your rounds. I’ll catch up with you later.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Leave any comments or kudos plz!!!! They give me a burst of serotonin.


	3. The Results

Today was the most Monday of Mondays. You woke up late and didn’t have time to shower, so you had to flee your apartment with dirty hair. It also meant you didn’t have time to make coffee or lunch, so now you’re at the mercy of whatever the hospital cafeteria is serving. 

You got to work just a few minutes late, nothing too serious. Hoping your lousy luck would end there, but no. The first patient you saw vomited all over you. It was, simply put, disgusting. Still, you tried to see the glass half full. Being covered in puke meant you got to head back to the nurses’ station to change, giving yourself enough time to grab a cup of coffee. But you were too eager to finally inject some much-needed caffeine into your system that you burnt your tongue. That’s when all the optimism drained from your body. 

It wasn’t just you that was having a bad case of the Mondays. Every patient you visited was in a mood. They were all snarky and uncooperative. Even Kanna was agitated. She was exhausted from the baby and hadn’t been sleeping well, but she refused to admit it. You avoided her for most of the day because the last thing you need is a petty fight with your best friend. 

It was only lunchtime, and it felt like every bone in your body was exhausted. All you wanted to do was lay down in bed and close your eyes. But you had four hours left of your shift before you could slip away to your tranquil escape. While eating the saddest premade cafeteria sandwich you have ever consumed, you decided to save Gai’s check-up for last so you could end your shitty day on a high note. That would quickly turn your Monday around. 

While making your way back from the cafeteria, you spot Dr. Saito. You have a lot of his patients and work closely with him. He’s a relatively nice guy even though he’s super blunt, but you’re not in the mood to chat. You give him a friendly wave hoping that would be it, but then he stops you.

“Hey Y/N! You’re Maito’s nurse, right?” he asks.

“Yes, is something the matter?” 

“Have you done his check-up yet?” 

“No, I was going to head over to his room later. Why?”

“I have an update about his Hashirama cell results, and I am heading over to his room right now. You should come along.”

Before waiting for a response, Dr. Saito continues walking towards the direction of Gai’s room. You quickly close the distance between you two.

“Dr. Saito, is it good news we are delivering? Or…” you trail off, hoping he would immediately agree with your first question.

“I’m afraid, not Y/N. His cells weren’t able to fuse with the First Hokage’s. I’ll be detailing his new physical therapy plan, and I figured you should join. This will be much easier than reading my notes later on.” 

You nod in response. Hopefully, Gai takes the news well. Over the weeks, you tried to curb his hopes, but he is optimistic to a fault. You don’t think he has come to terms with the severity of his injuries and the reality that his life will be intrinsically different than before. Panic starts to sink in. You subconsciously start to pick at your nail beds, a nasty habit you have yet to break. Dr. Saito glances down at your fidgeting fingers, so you shove your hands into the pockets of your scrubs. 

You remind yourself that you have delivered bad news before. It’s part of the job. Be professional like you are with every patient. It shouldn’t be any different because it’s Gai. He has always taken every hardship with great enthusiasm, so why would he change now? You take a deep breath to calm yourself down. Your feeble attempt to trick yourself into thinking Gai is a regular patient might work. 

Finally, you two reach Gai’s room. You feel a tiny bit calmer. Dr. Saito slides open the door and steps in first. 

“Dr. Saito, how are yo--AND MY BLOSSOM IS HERE TOO! What a treat!” Gai’s booming voice echoes throughout the room. 

You stop dead in your tracks. Has Gai always called you blossom?! Maybe you never noticed, but with the doctor present, you do now. Dr. Saito turns to you with one eyebrow raised, obviously questioning your patient-nurse relationship, and the blush on your face isn’t helping. You smile at Gai and walk further into the room, pretending like you don’t want to run away from embarrassment. 

Dr. Saito clears his throat, breaking up the weird vibe Gai unknowingly created. He doesn’t wait around for niceties and gets right to the point of the visit.

“Mr. Maito, I have the results of your Hashirama cell transplant test.”

“Oh, what splendid news Dr. Saito! How did my cells do? Did they pass the test with flying colors?” Gai asks, grinning ear to ear.

“Unfortunately, your cells were not compatible with the First Hokage’s, so we won’t be going the prosthetic route with you,” Dr. Saito bluntly states. 

The doctor pauses to give Gai a moment to digest the news. His face has fallen a bit. He hums a response, but that’s it. Dr. Saito takes it as his cue to continue. 

He explains the new full physical therapy route Gai will now be taking. The entire time you stand to the side trying to listen while simultaneously watching Gai’s reaction. His mouth is now in a firm hard line, and he’s quiet. He nods along with the doctor, seemingly following what he was saying, but you can tell his mind is elsewhere. Maybe he’s processing the news and will quickly snap out of it. Finally, the doctor finishes explaining the new intensive physical therapy plan. 

“If you don’t have any questions, Y/N here will start your daily check-up on top of a few new tests we need for your physical therapy plan. If you think of any questions, later on, you can always ask her.” 

Dr. Saito waits for Gai’s typical youthful response, but one never comes. He nods, not making eye contact with either one of you. Dr. Saito pats you on the back, a pathetic way of saying “good luck,” and heads out.

You try and ignore the intense silence that has enveloped the room. You grab Gai’s chart and the tray of instruments and head over to his bedside to start the usual routine, Except this time it is devoid of the usual banter. It feels strange and cold, and you’re at a loss on what to do, but you can’t keep being quiet. 

“Gai,” you tentatively break the ice. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.” he coolly answers. His short response is not giving anything away to what’s going on inside his head, but you know it’s not good. He’s taken the news hard.

You know you shouldn’t push, but clearly, he isn’t fine. His whole demeanor is off, and he hasn’t looked you in the eyes once since receiving his results. Maybe Gai just needs to hear a positive spin on his seemingly bad news. He’s always finding the good in everything, so this could snap him out of it.

“This doesn’t mean you won’t be able to walk. You just won’t have prosthetics. Physical therapy has done wonders for others. You never know wha-”

“Please stop.” Gai cuts you off.

“W-what?” you say, even though you’re pretty sure you heard him right. 

“I said, stop! I don’t want to hear it right now, Y/N!” Gai says, raising his voice. 

You don’t just stop talking. You stop moving as well. Frozen in place in shock that Gai would raise his voice at you. You thought he was quietly contemplating his situation, but he was actually stewing. Before you could figure out what to say or do, he continues. 

“My Shinobi days are over,” Gai says between deep breaths. It’s hard to tell if his breathing is a sign that he’s on the cusp of a panic attack or if he’s trying to calm himself down before an emotional spiral. Either way, he’s breaking down. “I will never walk again, and I will never fight again! I trained my entire life to do only that, it’s the only thing I know how to do, and now I can’t do it! I have nothing!” Now he’s shouting, but not at you because he has yet to even look at you. 

“That’s not true,” you firmly state. You’re charting new emotional territory with Gai and are unsure what to do or how to calm him down. “You have plenty of other options.”

“How is it not true?” he practically spits back at you, now directing his anger at you. He raises his head to look you in the eyes. Instantly you can see the amount of hurt he’s in. “You told me I was getting prosthetics and can walk again, and now I’m not! My whole life has changed now!” 

“Gai, I was always realistic with you about the compatibility test!” your voice raising a smidge. “And just because you aren’t able-bodied doesn’t mean you aren’t a Shinobi! You will always be a Shinobi. Besides, there are plenty of ways you can contribute to the Shinobi world without being on the battlefield.”

“What do you know? You’re a civilian.” Gai callously shoots back. His usually warm eyes are hardened over. Now you’ve had it. You don’t care if he’s your patient, friend, or whatever. No one is going to talk to you like that. 

“So? And that makes my opinion matter less?!” you snap back.

“Yes, it does! You don’t understand!” he shouts—his deep voice reverberating throughout the sterile room. 

“I understand plenty!” you shout back at Gai. Now you got his attention. His bushy eyebrows raise slightly at the volume of your voice. All of your emotions from earlier are amplifying your current feelings. 

“Just because I’m a  _ civilian _ ,” you say in the same heartless way he did. “Doesn’t mean I can’t help you through this and empathize with you! I understand being a Shinobi is tough, but you’re not the only one with a tough job!” 

“It’s still not the same!” Gai is getting heated. 

“You know what? Fine, you’re right! It’s not the same. You’re a Shinobi, so you’re better than me. Is that what you want me to say? Do you want me to sit here and throw a pity party with you? Is that it? Because I refuse. I’m sorry your cells weren’t a match, okay. I wanted them to be, but they weren’t. That’s the reality of it.” 

Silence covers the room once again. You and Gai are simply glaring at each other. You’re waiting for his retort, wondering what will come out of his mouth now?

“Just finish the check-up,” he plainly states before tearing his eyes from you. Glaring into his lap, he finally unfurls his hands, which were in tight fists at his side. You didn’t even notice how tense he was until right now. You become aware of your body language. Your body is leaning in over Gai’s, your jaw is set tight, and your hands on your hips. You unclench your jaw and drop your hands and turn to the tray you brought over. You have whiplash from your outburst.

His attitude has left you in a stupor. What was that fight even about? How did you get so angry? All you know is that this isn’t the Gai you have been looking after all these months. The ever-positive light that he usually radiates was not just dimmed but extinguished. 

You mentally shake out your feelings. You still have to do your job, and the quicker you do it, the faster you can leave. Besides, wallowing is best done alone. You put on a blank professional face and quickly continue with the check-up.

Halfway through, your feelings start bubbling up again, but this time it’s not anger. You hate being yelled at. Even though you were yelling back, it still doesn’t matter. Ever since you were little, you always cried when being yelled at. It strikes an emotional chord deep within you. But right now, if you cry in front of Gai, you will never forgive yourself.

Racing against your own emotions, you quickly hurry through the rest of the check-up. Finally finished, you walk toward the counter to dispose of and sterilize the instruments. Gai has yet to say anything to you, and you’re trying your best to ignore the lump rising in your throat. The dreadful silence feels suffocating. 

Ignoring your pending confusing emotional breakdown as the best you can, you finish cleaning up. You look over at Gai for anything. A sign he feels remorse or has calmed down. But his head is turned toward the window. His jaw is tense, and his eyebrows furrowed together. Letting out a sigh, you walk to the door. 

You slide it open and step out, and without even thinking, you say, “Goodbye, Gai.” and slide the door shut before he can respond.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! It was hard to write. Thank you for all the lovely comments and kudos. It really means A LOT to me!!!!!! Like I said in another chapter note, this is my first multi-fic, so all of your words have been encouraging.


	4. The Apology

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 4 happens the same week as chapter 3! I hate when fic timelines aren’t clear, so I want to make it easy on you, lovely reader. Be prepared for a lot of emotions

You managed to trudge through the rest of the week and make it to Saturday by some miracle. You have the next two days off, and you plan on doing absolutely nothing besides eating takeout and drinking wine. But before you can completely check out, you have to get through this shift. 

Everyone’s foul mood from Monday has lifted except for Gai’s. He hasn’t shouted at you since Monday, which is good. But that’s only because he hasn’t spoken to you since. It’s not like you have tried to talk to him either. You don’t know how you feel about the fight. It’s hard to explain. You dread going to his room and doing the silent check-up song and dance. Besides the occasional clinical “move this” or “breathe in for me,” there was nothing else said. 

“What could you be thinking so deeply about on a Saturday morning?” Kanna coyly asks you. 

You snap back to reality and look up from your cup of coffee that you were staring into. Kanna is standing in front of you with one hand on her hip, gazing down on you. You didn’t even notice her walk into the nurse’s station, shit. 

“I’m thinking about my fight with Gai again,” you lamely admit. Kanna waves her hand, signaling you to move over on the couch. As gracefully as a five-month pregnant lady can, she plops down beside you. 

“So neither of you have said anything yet?” 

“No,” you say, followed with a deep sigh. “I don’t know what to say to him.”

“Just apologize,” Kanna suggests before taking a sip of her tea. 

“What? Why would I be the one apologizing?” you incredulously remark. “I’m not the one who caused the fight.”

“Yeah, that’s true, but you’re the one who wants to end it, so end it. You have to pick your battles in a relationship, and honestly, I don’t think this one is worth winning.” 

“Are you being serious? Has the baby morphed your brain? Where is my best friend who would rather drop dead before telling me to apologize first to a man for something I didn’t even cause?!” 

Kanna chuckles, “I’ve mellowed out. What can I say.” 

“Also, don’t think I missed you saying ‘relationship.’ Gai and I aren’t in a relationship, so stop projecting.” You humph like a tween and cross your arms for good measure. 

“I’m not projecting,” Kanna replies with an eye roll. “Stop fooling yourself! You care about him, and it’s okay to admit. Why else would you be this upset?” 

“Fine,” you grumble. Kanna’s eyes widen at your pathetic admission. “I care about him, okay! Are you happy?!” 

“Yes, finally! Now I have to make you realize you care about him more than a friend, and I’ll truly be happy.” 

“Ha, ha, ha, very funny,” you dryly retort. 

“Does this mean you are going to apologize to him?” 

“I’m not sure,” you go back to staring into your coffee. “I don’t get why Gai hasn’t apologized yet. Maybe he actually is mad at me and wasn’t projecting his frustrations as I thought.” Kanna stays silent to let you talk through your feelings. “He seemed like the type of guy who would apologize when he’s wrong, but maybe I don’t know him that well. What If I apologize and he doesn’t say it back?” 

“Do you feel bad about what happened?” 

“Yes, of course, I do!”

“Well, then apologize. Don’t worry about what Gai’s response will be. Apologize because you want to.”

You take a deep breath, “Why do you make it sound so easy?”

Kanna laughs, “Trust me. I know it’s not. Now help me get up from this couch.” 

~~~

Walking to Gai’s room, you begin to hype yourself up. _“Apologize first thing. Before you take his chart from his bed. No! Right as you step into the room. Yes, do it ASAP. You have to rip it off like a bandaid. Nice and quick, and it’ll be over. But then what if he doesn’t accept and you have to go through the check-up. Maybe wait until right before you leave. Give him one last chance to apologize first. No, you’re being a coward, Y/N! Do it first thing. But what do I say? I can’t only say I’m sorry. That’s a bad apology. I have to say something else._ ”

By now, you’ve reached Gai’s room. Shit, you don’t have an apology prepared. You can’t stand outside his room and figure it out, you have other patients to see, and you’re not staying overtime before your two days of freedom.

 _“I guess it’ll come to me in the moment,”_ you think while sliding open the door. 

You’re met with no greeting. No booming voice is crying out, “my blossom.” No thumbs up or beaming smile. You were prepared for more of the same tense silence, but still, it hurt. Your little pep talk did nothing to boost your confidence. 

Trying to be brave, you give a slight smile towards Gai, but he’s looking down intensely, studying his fingers that were resting in his lap. So much for trying. You grab his chart off his bed and begin to flip through it, but secretly you were panicking. _“Just say those three words!”_ you criticize yourself. _“Say ‘I am sorry!’”_

“I’m getting discharged today,” Gai blurts out. 

“W-what?” you rip your eyes from his chart. There goes your opportunity to break the ice. 

“The doctor was just here. He said I could go home and visit for my PT sessions.” 

“Oh, well, that’s great news,” you say with a genuine smile. You were probably so deep in your thoughts trying to figure out what to say to Gai you didn’t even notice Dr. Saito walk past you. 

“Yeah, I guess it is.” Gai gives a meek smile, not one of his signature 100-watt grins. 

Looking down on his chart, you see the discharge note. It’s now hitting you that you won’t be seeing him every day. You knew this day would eventually come, but you weren’t prepared for it to happen while you two were fighting. 

“Y/N,” Gai says gingerly. “I’m sorry for the other day when I um..you know..uh yelled. You didn’t deserve that.”

Hearing those words lifted a weight off your chest. It felt like you could finally take in a deep breath.

“Thank you, Gai. I’m sorry too,” your apology practically falling out of your mouth, chasing his. “I shouldn’t have pushed. I...I should have been more professional.” 

“Professional? Y/N, you were trying to be a good friend to me while I was a huge ass. If you don’t forgive me right away, I understand. I deserve it.” 

“Gai, of course, I forgive you,” you say before he can even finish his sentence. You see his shoulders drop, clearly relieved. “You were an ass, I won’t disagree with you there, but I didn’t help deescalate things.” 

Gai shakes his head in agreement. His bowl cut brush back and forth across his forehead. 

“I should have apologized sooner,” you comment with a relieved laugh. “I was just stubborn.” 

“No blossom, I was the stubborn one. I should have apologized before you left my room on Monday. I waited until today because I thought you were still mad at me.”

“I was still mad on Tuesday, but after that, I was over it. I just wanted my old Gai back,” you remark with a grin. 

Just like that, you two fall back into your old ways. While Gai is telling you all about Lee’s impressive 800 laps around the village done on his hands, you think back earlier to your conversation with Kanna. 

Now that Gai won’t be your patient after today, how do you really feel about him? You can admit you care about him, but do you like him? Do you find him attractive? You look up and stare at him. He was oblivious to your gaze, too wrapped up in his storytelling. He had nice teeth, a handsome face, big hands, a great laugh. But not only that, he was carefree and funny, passionate, and loyal to his friends. He also remembers little things you mention showing he listens to you and he buys you thoughtful gifts, and he did apologize first. All the feelings you’ve ignored for the last month and a half have welled up inside of you. It’s overwhelming. They completely consume you, and you’re at their mercy. You like Gai, and you have no excuses left to keep ignoring them.

“Y/N?”

You snap out of your haze. You’ve been lost in your head all morning. This colossal revelation just hit you, and you’ve been staring at Gai like an idiot! 

“Oh um, I’m sorry,” a blush graces your cheeks. “Then what happened with Lee?”

Gai chuckles and continues his story while you finish up the check-up. Finally, you’re finished. 

With nothing left to do, you awkwardly stand beside Gai, unsure of what to say. Now that you have admitted your feelings to yourself, you don’t know what to do next. 

“So that’s it...our last check-up is over.” you awkwardly state while your eyes roam around the room. Afraid that if you look at Gai, he’ll be able to see right through you. 

“Time flies when you have fun blossom.” Gai throws up one of his classic thumbs-ups. You roll your eyes. He is painfully corny, but it helps you relax. You have to make a move or else, who knows when you’ll see him again.

“Even though the Saito says you’re fine, I know, you’ll hurt yourself doing some strange endurance challenge with Lee, so um here.” you pull out your business card and a pen. You quickly scribble your cell phone number on the back. “This is my number. If you ever need me, just call or text.”

Gai takes the card and delicately inspects it. You watch as he languidly flips the card over with his nimble fingers. “Thank you, Y/N, for this and everything.” 

“Of course,” you say softly with a nod. “Well, I have to get going, but um yeah, congrats on getting discharged.” You reach down and squeeze his arm before turning to put everything away one last time. 

Once finished, you walk over to the door, and before you can even put your hand on the knob, Gai blurts out, “What about tea?!”

You whip around, “What?”

“Um, our tea date, or hang out, uh you said we could have tea together when I get out, and you can use the mug I got you. Do you not remember? I swear you said that” he rambles. His shoulders are now back up to his ears. Seeing Gai fumble with his words softens you up a bit. Maybe Kanna was right all along. 

“Oh yes, I do remember,” your blush returning to your face. “You can also text me about our tea date.” You say with an emphasis on the date while nodding toward your card that he was still holding. 

“Great!” Now Gai’s shoulders have dropped back down. 

“Get home safe, Gai,” you say while leaving his room. The biggest dopiest smile is plastered on your face, and you don’t even care. Not only did Gai talk to you, but he apologized. And now you have a “tea date” with him. 

Today is going to be a great Friday. 


	5. The House Call

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all the kind comments. They keep me going!!! I’m so happy to find people who love and appreciate Gai as much as I do. 
> 
> I know this chapter is a little late, but I kept thinking of little moments I wanted to add and re-editing. This is my longest chapter yet, so please take that as an apology, lol.
> 
> I’m going to move updates to Saturday/Sunday because I am getting busier at work. I might miss a week here or there, and I’m sorry in advance, but I will finish this fic, I promise!!!! I have like every chapter outlined already. If you want to follow my Twitter (@yamahoes), I’ll give fic updates there. 
> 
> I also want to shout out Kerm for her constant hilarious tweets counting down to my fic updates. And her helping me figure out some Gai hcs. I love you!
> 
> I need to edit this chapter again, but it's good enough to post. If you see a mistake, I'm sorry!!!

The past week and a half have been a blur. The craziness at the hospital ebbs and flows, but right now, it’s pouring. The people of Konoha are living it up and relishing the new peaceful era. That’s just code for everyone is making reckless decisions and injuring themselves. But you thrive in the chaos. It makes the days go by quickly. You pick up some extra shifts, making mental notes to who owes you later when you're desperate for a favor. 

You keep joking to Kanna that you should live in the break room and lease out your apartment for the month to save some money. She was not amused by your antics, exclaiming you need to get out and talk to someone who isn’t a patient. You just swatted her away and continued with your rounds. 

When your 10-day work marathon ended at the end of your last shift, Kanna practically pushes you out of the hospital. “Go sleep, shower, and eat something that isn’t coffee or a protein bar, PLEASE,” Kanna begs. 

“Alright, calm down!” you swing your heavy tote over your shoulder. It’s filled with dirty clothes, toiletries, and random dishes you left behind. Damn, you kind of did move in. That’s embarrassing. 

“Do NOT pick up anyone’s shift these next few days you have off. I forbid it.” Kanna wags her finger in your face. “Go do something fun. Go on a date with Gai or something.” 

Your face falls, hearing his name. He still hasn’t texted you since he’s been discharged. This is the longest you’ve gone without seeing him in a few months. Honestly, you took on these extra shifts to keep busy, so you weren’t stuck at home staring at your phone, begging it to light up. 

Kanna notices your change in demeanor. “Y/N, it’ll be fine, stop worrying. He will text you. He just got discharged from the hospital after being cooped up in here for months. He’s still adjusting.”

“I know what you’re saying is logical, but you know my brain just won’t let me accept it.” You finish with a sigh and shake out your shoulders, hoping the physical movement will also dispel your negative thoughts. 

“Go home and sleep. You’ll feel better. And seriously, take a shower.”

“Okay, chill. I don’t smell that bad!” 

“Hm, according to you, you don’t.”

“Alright, on that note, I’m leaving. Bye, mom! Have a great rest of your shift!” fake enthusiasm dripping from every word. Kanna discreetly flips you the bird and wobbles back inside. 

You stop at the grocery store on your way home, knowing your fridge is barren on your walk back to your apartment. It’s just begun getting cold in Konoha, and your walk home was freezing. You were not wearing enough layers. 

Finally, you make it home and put away your groceries. Great, now your home alone with nothing but your thoughts and anxiety. These next few days will be hell.  _ “Maybe I should just sleep the entire time,” _ you think to yourself. But first, you really should shower. You need to scrub off that hospital smell. You wander into the bathroom and turn on the shower. While the water heats up, you turn toward the mirror, and you let out a yelp. 

“Shit, I look awful,” you say aloud to yourself. 

You hop in the shower and decide to make it a long one—shaving, exfoliating, a hair mask, the whole ordeal. Afterward, you blow-dry your hair and moisturize your entire body. Waiting for the goop to soak in, you walk around your apartment, picking up. You tore in and out of here like a tornado, and it shows. Random things were strewn haphazardly around your place. Finally, you end up in your bedroom and slide into bed and instantly fall asleep. 

~~~

After hibernating for 10 hours, you emerge from your bedroom a new person. Whoever that scary person was that you saw in your reflection yesterday is long gone. You assess the remaining damage in your apartment. You only recently moved into the one-bedroom apartment. It had character and didn’t look like one of the new sleek apartments popping up after the war. Working in a hospital was enough never to make you a minimalist. You still need to hang some art and buy furniture. Maybe you can do that today. But first, you have to pick up and wash the dirty dishes in the sink. 

With a sigh, you trudge over to the sink. You start filling the sink up with hot sudsy water and roll your sleeves up. Looking at your dishes, you scrunch up your nose. Nothing is worse than scraping off soggy old food, but that’s what you get for not rinsing your dishes. You pull out your phone and start blaring your most recent playlist. At least this will make doing the dishes bearable. You drop your phone in a cup and put it on the open shelf above your sink. 

You’re only a few plates in when your music gets cut off. Your jerk your head up and see an unknown number flashing across your phone screen.  _ “What the fuck? Could it be work?” _ you think. Quickly drying off one hand, you scramble to get your phone out of the cup. You answer the call and secure the phone between your shoulder and ear.

“Hello?” 

“Hi, is this Y/N?” You immediately recognize the low voice and grab the towel to wipe off your other hand. 

“Yes, this is she,” A smile begins to grow on your face. 

“It’s been a long time, blossom! How have you been?” Gai’s infectious enthusiasm seeps through the phone. 

“I’m good. Work has been busy, but I’m finally off for a few days. How have you been?” You grab the phone from your shoulder and begin to make your way over to the couch.

“Well, not great,” you stop moving. “That’s why I’m calling you. I kinda hurt myself and fell inside my apartment, and um-- I was wondering if you can come over.”

“How badly are you injured? Should you be calling a paramedic instead?”

“Why call a paramedic when you’re a nurse?” He nervously chuckles, but you stay quiet. He’s not going to joke himself out of this. “There are no broken bones, just some bruising and whatnot. Minor stuff, I promise.”

“Hmm, if I come over and you’re lying, I won’t ever forgive you.”

“Blossom, those are powerful words!”

“I mean it, Gai!”

“You’re cute trying to sound stern over the phone. I promise on Lee’s life that I am not on my death bed.”

“If you’re well enough to be a smart ass, you must not be.” Softening up, you ask, “What’s your address?”

~~~ 

The entire walk to Gai’s apartment, you try to collect yourself. He called you because he needed medical attention, nothing else. Don’t get your hopes up. You’re trying to rationalize with yourself. He’s been out of the hospital for nearly two weeks, and you didn’t hear anything from him, and now he’s hurt himself and thinks of you. He only thinks of you as a friendly nurse. 

_ “But he said tea  _ **_date_ ** _ the last time you saw him,” _ you involuntarily remind yourself. “No,” this time, you speak out loud. “This is just like a check-up. That’s it.” 

Gai sees you in one light, that's all. It’s straightforward. Stop getting your hopes up. Yes, he said tea date but have you gone on said tea date yet? Has he mentioned it since? No. He ignored you for a week, then fell and called you. You’re going to go over there, help him up, check his vitals, and leave. 

Finally, you turn down Gai’s street. You pull out your phone to see the address number you wrote down in your notes. Looking at the building numbers, you finally reach Gai’s. Your stomach feels like it’s in your throat. Thank god you didn’t eat breakfast this morning. You walk up to his door and take a deep breath. You quickly knock twice. 

“Um--come in. Sorry, I can’t get it right now,” you hear through the chestnut wooden door. Shit, that’s right, Gai fell. He can’t answer the door. 

You reach for the knob and slowly open the door.

“Gai,” you say, looking around. You close the door behind you and toe-off your shoes, and take off your winter coat and beanie. 

“Y/N, over here,” Gai’s voice comes from further into the apartment.

You walk down the small hallway, passing the kitchen entrance on your left, and finally, space opens up. There you finally see Gai laying face-up on the floor.

“Hi blossom, how are you?” Gai asks like he wasn’t crumpled up on the floor like a sad green bean. As if you always walk into his apartment and see him lying on the floor in his living room. 

“Gai, what happened?! Where’s your wheelchair?” You look around the space, and then you see it. “Were you using a walker?” You glare down at him. 

“Um--well--I’m trying to build up my leg strength,” he sheepishly admits. You’ve made your way to his side and kneel. 

“Let me guess, the walker got caught on the rug, and that’s how you fell.”

“If you want to give up nursing to become a detective, I think you would have a bright future,”

“Ha, ha, ha, very funny,” you say monotone. “Can you push yourself up to sit up-right?” 

“Yeah, with some help,” Gai admits. “I trained yesterday with Lee, and we ran a marathon but on our hands.” 

“Of course you did. You shouldn’t push yourself this hard so soon.” While lecturing Gai, you lean over to help him up. Your face is right beside his. It feels like your heart is beating in your ear. The closeness is overwhelming. The smell of his shampoo is faint. It’s warm and earthy, like pine trees and vanilla. You resist the urge to bury your head into his neck. Instead, you wrap one arm around the back of his shoulder. Your palm is pressing firmly against his rigid back muscles. It was as if all your senses are heightened, and every small touch, smell, vibration are amplified. 

With your help, Gai pushes his upper half off the floor. You pull back slightly and are met with Gai’s face only a few inches away from yours. His soft black eyes lock on to yours. Softly he says, “Thanks, Y/N.” 

The lump in your throat makes it impossible to respond. You drop your hand from Gai’s shoulder and quickly stand up. “Uh--where’s your wheelchair? I should grab it before I lift you up.”

“Oh right,” Gai averts his eyes. You notice a faint blush on his cheeks. He’s probably embarrassed that a strong shinobi like himself had to call you to help get him off the floor. “It’s in my bedroom.” He nods to the door over in the far right corner of the room. 

“Great,” you respond quickly and beeline to the door. You step into Gai’s room and immediately see the wheelchair. Not like it would have been hard to find, it’s a wheelchair. You look around, and it hits you how intimate it is to be in his bedroom. You take it all in. His room is minimal and clean, but still very Gai.

His king-sized bed is in the middle of the room on the back wall. It’s nestled in between two windows. The duvet color is a deep forest green color with matching shams. You notice a turtle plushie tucked in between the pillows. Across from the bed is a small writing desk with random scrolls, ink, and books sitting on top. It’s the only visible mess in the room. He had a few pictures hanging above the desk. One photo was of him and his team when they were genins, a photo of him and Kakashi, and another of a young boy with bushy eyebrows and an older man with matching brows. It must be young Gai and his father. There’s a dresser along the wall to the door’s right and a closet on the opposite wall. The wheelchair is on the far side of the bed. 

_ “Gai must sleep on the left side, which is perfect because I like the right.” _ The thought comes so quickly like you had every reason to believe one day you would share a bed with Gai. You need to get a grip.

Thank god this will be over soon, you think while walking over to the wheelchair. You’ll get Gai in the chair, and then you can leave. Being here is suffocating. It’s impossible to ignore your feelings being in his apartment. 

You wheel the chair out into the living room and find Gai exactly where you left him. 

“Cute turtle plushie,” you lovingly tease.

He laughs, “Lee and Tenten bought that for me. It was their recovery gift.” 

A chuckle escapes your lips. You get the chair situated behind Gai and lock the wheels.

“Alright, I’m going to put my arms under your shoulder, and you are going to push up, then we will lower you into the chair. Very easy.” 

He grunts, “Got it.” 

You two work together smoothly, which is a feat because Gai is big. He’s about a whole head taller than you and all muscle. But you two manage to get him in the wheelchair. 

Relief washes over you because now you can leave and ignore your feelings and his lack of feelings. Maybe instead of furniture shopping, you should go to a bar. You glance over at Gai and catch him staring at you. 

“Is there something wrong?”

“No--uh--sorry, I just have never seen you out of your scrubs.”

You look down at your outfit. It wasn’t anything special because you rushed out of your house. You were wearing black boots, blue straight-leg jeans, a tight black turtleneck with a maroon knit cardigan layered over the top. 

“Oh, well, this is what I look like in my normal clothes,” you say with an awkward laugh. What is Gai trying to get at? 

“You look n-nice, I mean pretty.” Gai rakes a hand through his hair, giving you a rare glimpse at his forehead

“Um, th-thank you,” you can’t bear to make eye contact with him. “Well, if that’s it, I should get go--”

“No! No, uh, you can stay unless you have plans. I don’t want to keep you, but if not, you can stay if you want.”

Ignoring everything you said to yourself earlier, “Yeah, I’d like that.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is powered by Haim’s Women In Music Pt. III (Expanded Edition), which I listened to on loop while writing. 
> 
> Leave any comments or kudos! I really love this chapter.


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